The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) reported on Dec. 20 that for the month of October 2011, U.S. steel mills shipped 7,933,653 net tons, a 0.2 percent decrease from the 7,947,262 net tons shipped in the previous month, September 2011, and a 19.7 percent increase from the 6,629,195 net tons shipped in October 2010.

Shipments year-to-date in 2011 are 76,374,860, a 9.4 percent increase vs. 2010 shipments of 69,783,780 for ten months. 2011 shipments through October would annualize at 92 million tons, according to AISI.

A month-to-month comparison of shipments shows the following changes: cold rolled sheet, up 3 percent, hot-dipped galvanized sheets and strip, up 1 percent and hot-rolled sheet, down 6 percent